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Is it worht upgrading EQ5

Vince1963

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Vince1963

Vince1963

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HI guy's..... Can anyone please tell me if its worth up grading my EQ5 with the "Synscan pro goto V3 upgrade kit" with the £300 price tag...

Is it a very accurate and precise bit of kit? I don't know whether its better to just go the whole hog and get the HEQ5 pro at £760...( my wife just looked at what i've written and says Its definitely not worth buying either :argue: LOL).. I guess thats answered mu question LOL :crybaby2:

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brantuk

brantuk

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Worth considering a s/h HEQ5 - under 2yrs old and in excellent condition they tend to fetch around £500-£550. That would leave enough for some bits and bobs and a very nice pressie for "her indoors" (new hoover or washing machine lol). :)

(don't forget to sell the old EQ5 to offset the cost)

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Vince1963

Vince1963

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Cheers for that brantuk... told her what you said now i've got a matching pair...Black eyes that is lol... Seriously though is there a lot of difference from the EQ5 upgrade to the HEQ5?.. I can but the kit for £300... What i'd really like is the NEQ6 but its way above my budget... (why is astro gear so expensive) :embarrassed:

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David JM

David JM

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Define 'worth'!

Is being able to track or find objects a priority? If so then an upgrade is worth it. The EQ5 with an upgrade kit that you fit yourself with a feeling of satisfaction will price your mount at £15 more than an EQ5 with the drives and handset already fitted.

You should make a webpage that shows the prices £100 less than they are, that will get you off the hook. Or ask how much the last pair of posh shoes were that she has worn twice. You should also budget for a warm sleeping bag when you are evicted to the shed in this instance!

In case you think I am being sexist, substitute the male for the female in the above and power tools for shoes.

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Vince1963

Vince1963

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Thanks David...I'll run that by her lol. I think the track and find are a MUST for me, Already i'm frustrated with locating objects and keeping them in view,I'm finding Its not always easy to make the adjustments either because the scope is in the way of the adjustment knobs sometimes (not sure but this could be down to me), with auto track will i be able to get long exposures?. :icon_salut:

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brantuk

brantuk

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A 200P would be fine on upgraded EQ5 - but for observing only. You can get reasonable results with it imaging but for the accuracy required for good astro photos the 200P is far better off sitting on an HEQ5. It's a much more substantial mount to take the weight, has more facilities, and is more cost effective than the comparatively expensive EQ5 upgrade. I think you'd find it much more satisfactory.

I hear what you're saying about how expensive astro gear is - that's why I go for mostly second hand stuff. 18mths to 2yrs old most astro gear is still in excellent condition apart from odd expected signs of minor wear - and if lucky you may find a great bargain. :)

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Vince1963

Vince1963

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I watched a Helios 200P on an HEQ5 pro got for £390 on ebay yesterday and was very upset as I had no money to bid with. Now that was a bargain.

Yeah i saw that ... I was going to put a bid in but it was collection only :embarrassed:

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Vince1963

Vince1963

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Why not just add the RA motor?, £75.00 and no more having to adjust the scope (once you have found what you are looking for)

Hi hawkeye you still need to track the object, especially in astro-photography :laugh:

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brantuk

brantuk

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Tom has a good point - if I were just dabbling with "beginner" imaging but mostly did observing I would add an RA motor and a polar scope for around £120 (brand new). In fact that's what I did when I had a manual CG5 (preferable to the EQ5). Wasn't lomg before I upgraded to a full goto system though - if your finding and star hopping skills are not so hot then a goto mount can save a lot of time and frustration. I went from skimming 4-5 objects in a short session to staying up most of the night and taking in 40 object challenges. :)

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Hawkeye

Hawkeye

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But if you are just trying out, then a simple RA motor will track nicely. You need to polar align correctly, but it can be done!

Thats my point, If you want to be doing some fantastic astro photography you wouldn't be using an EQ5 and a 200p.... you would be talking the bank manager about a huge loan..

I have taken the time to get the polar alignment as close as I can (and yes it does take time), fitted the RA motor and now I can keep a target in the centre of the EP for upwards of an hour..

All I need to do now is perfect my camera / stacking skills and I should be able to get some photo's that will give me the 'I took that' wow factor..

I doubt I would (could) win any 'POW' awards, but I can show my family and friends what I have managed to do!!

One thing I have learnt since finding this web site is..... If you want Hubble quality photo's, spend Hubble type money!!!

or make the most of what you have got (or can afford) and do the best you can!!

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Vince1963

Vince1963

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But if you are just trying out, then a simple RA motor will track nicely. You need to polar align correctly, but it can be done!

Hi Tom... I maybe wrong but i was under the impression that they don't track by themselves wouldn't you have to keep tapping the the control to keep it aligned for DSO's? :laugh:

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Vince1963

Vince1963

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Hi Hawkeye ignore my last post lol, I just read your post "that's my point" and i see what your saying now. Please excuse my ignorance but am i right in understanding that you are using a CCD video camera and then stacking the images with a a program such as registax?, ultimately my aim is to have a cannon DSLR and have long exposures of DSO's, but i can see what your saying and expense is going to have some bearing on what i end up with and it is early day's. Kind regards Vince :icon_salut:

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Uhwaz

Uhwaz

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Hi Brantuk.. I think you and Tom have a very good point, But as i said in Tom's thread... Don't you need long exposures for DSO's and a simple RA motor wont track them? :laugh:

That comes down to how precise you can be with polar alignement.

You cant "track" but if you do good job on PA you can take good few mins subs without trails as RA motor ll copy sky movement

I am no expert but thats how I understand it :)

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